Friday, March 16, 2012

All the convivial talk about how the 49ers are looking forward to re-signing Alex Smith—even though they haven’t—just hit the pause button. ESPN reports that Peyton Manning worked out for coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman Tuesday night in Durham, N. C. (And, no, the Niners coaches didn’t just happen to be in the neighborhood.) ESPN cites an unnamed source as saying the passing session was “very impressive.”

Also: Manning has reportedly let the Arizona Cardinals know that they shouldn’t plan on him in their future. That leaves Denver (which reportedly has a $60-million, five-year deal on the table), Tennessee and now, apparently, the 49ers as the three most likely landing spots for the future Hall of Famer.